Cross country relay: McQuaid’s cross country team hopes to raise $5,000 for a meal program at the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester during its 25-hour relay event.

The relay on the school’s track begins at 11 a.m. on Aug. 29. The 18 varsity and JV runners could complete more than 250 miles.

Grant for club team: The VolleyFX Volleyball Club received a $2,500 grant from Liberty Mutual Insurance on Aug. 27 at the Main Street Armory.

The Responsible Sports Community grant is part of the company’s Responsible Sports program, and is among 15 given around the country. VolleyFX, a premier-level club for girls, can use the funds to purchase carts and other equipment.

Webster Schroeder basketball forward Emmitt Holt, a senior, said that he has grown about an inch while playing in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League for elite travel teams this summer.

The 2013 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester team member said that he has played in close to 10 tournaments, often out of state, since late May. Holt said that his summer games

Emmitt Holt spent his summer traveling to Nike Elite Youth Basketball League tournaments and showcases. The league consists of elite travel teams. PHOTO FROM THE DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE

likely wrapped up two weeks ago, at a “Super Showcase” in Orlando, Fla.

“I’ve got a shot now and I can dribble,” the 6-foot-7 inch Holt said. “I’m not like a point guard or anything, but I can handle the ball.”

Niagara University, Siena, Boston, Canisius and Buffalo are among the colleges that have contacted Holt in some fashion, but none have offered a scholarship. Holt may pursue a study related to mathematics after graduation from Webster Schroeder.

The Warriors advanced to the Section V Class AA1 tournament finals each of the last two seasons, where they lost to well-hyped Aquinas and Bishop Kearney teams. Holt is the lone starter back from last year’s 19-2 team, which produced the best record in its history.

“We still have a good team,” Holt said. “Our best area will be defense, I think. I think we’re really quick with good

hands.

“It’s going to be a big change, but we will be able to adapt. We just have to learn how to play

Holt

together and we’ll be a serious threat. When we play defense, our offense will come from that.”

Canandaigua lacrosse: Brian Feldman, an attackman on Canandaigua’s boys lacrosse team, gave a verbal commitment to play at Qunnipiac University in Connecticut.

Feldman, six-feet tall and 200 pounds, scored 52 goals with eight assists last spring as a junior. He is left-handed.

Hartford and Hobart were two schools that Feldman also considered during his recruitment.

Irondequoit football: Dan Fichter, the new varsity football coach at Irondequoit, was approved for the position last winter.

The rest of Fichter’s coaching staff is in place after a schood istrict board meeting earlier this month.

Prinzi was an assistant coach at McQuaid last fall, while Follaco was on the staff at Brockport. Kuhn, who did not coach high school football in 2012, Follaco, Prinzi, Bates and Fichter are Irondequoit graduates.

At least one college coaching staff likes what it sees of Charlie Shuman, a Panthers guard/tackle who is about 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds.

Shuman is impressed too, as the Pittsford Sutherland senior said on July 24 that he will accept an offer of an athletic scholarship from Old Dominion University in Virginia.

Old Dominion plays this upcoming season in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision, before it joins Conference USA in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014.

“We run a lot of downhill stuff and he’s tremendous,” Molinich said about Shuman. “He moves people.

“He’s so big and long, and he’s not done growing yet.”

Shuman made what is called a verbal commitment, which becomes binding when he signs a national letter of intent. The period when high school football players in Shuman’s graduation class can sign begins Feb. 5.

Section V wrestling have grip: Union-Endicott wrestling coach Josh Ruff confirmed on July 24 that Brockport, Hilton and Spencerport are all but in the field for the Union-Endicott Duals, Jan. 4-5 outside of Binghamton.

Each of the teams must pay an entry fee by Sept. 15.

The U-E Duals is one of the tournaments that shapes the state rankings. Teams are invited or must apply for entry.

Another team expected to be a part of the 16-team field is Clarence of Section VI, coached by Rush-Henrietta graduate Jason Chase.

Throw-ins: Bishop Kearney graduate Antwoine Anderson, the 2013 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and former Rush-Henrietta standout Mandell Thomas are roommates this summer at Fordham University in New York City. Thomas, who will be a sophomore, was AGR co-player of the year in 2011. . . . Aquinas graduate Aarika Kaester plans to continue to play lacrosse at Division II Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) after she scored a team-high 88 goals last season. … The New York State Sportswriters Association reports that seven juniors in New York State have given verbal commitments to play men’s lacrosse at Ohio State, including Pittsford midfielder Brandon Barker and Webster Thomas goalie Willie Klan.

Brandon Barker was the man who loves to eat, with a good dinner buffet right in front of him.

Barker, a junior this fall at Pittsford Mendon, had some nice options for a lacrosse midfielder who wanted to continue in college.

There was Syracuse University, the classic choice among programs, a place with a long history of success. The Orange seem like steak in the food world. It’s been around

Barker

forever it seems and it’s still a successful sell after all of these decades.

Think Alabama as a parallel team in the world of college football.

There was also Maryland for Barker, the school where former Irondequoit standout Joe Walters played. The Terrapins seem like Oklahoma or Georgia in college football, no recent championships, certainly relevant and popular. Think burgers or hot dogs.

Ohio State lacrosse seems to be a good comparison to Oregon or Boise State in college football or the new hot dish in food. Barker chose the Buckeyes, a team with much less notable history than others, but has signs it is on an upswing.

The Buckeyes, a No. 3 seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, were No. 8 in the final Inside Lacrosse rankings after a loss in the quarterfinals to Cornell.

“It’s nothing wrong with Syracuse or Maryland,” Barker said. “I felt more at home at Ohio State.

“I had a feeling at Ohio State.”

Barker’s good feeling led him to tell Buckeye coaches on July 21 that he accepted Ohio State’s offer of a partial athletic scholarship, still two high school seasons away for him.

Barker may have at least one Section V/Rochester-connection at Ohio State. Dave Dobbins, a Webster and Colgate graduate, is an assistant coach on the Buckeyes staff.

“He’s a big strong midfielder that can play both offense and defense, which goes a long way in the college game,” Pittsford coach Andrew Whipple said.

Barker, who is 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, scored 30 goals as a sophomore this past school year. That was No. 1 among Pittsford’s midfielders.

“He had a breakout summer during his freshman year,” Whipple said.

Part of that summer of Barker showcasing himself was his selection to an all-star team at the Maverik Showtime camp. Barker was again chosen as an all-star at Maverik Showtime this summer.

Barker said that he visited 10 college campuses since November 2012. He collected a lot of food for thought from coaches at each stop before his decision.

When Jack Leasure heard that McQuaid wanted a varsity basketball coach, he was out of the country.

Leasure, 27, has played professional basketball in New Zealand the last four years. One of his interviews for the coaching position at McQuaid was done via Skype. McQuaid announced the hiring of Leasure in June.

This is his first coaching position at any level.

“My experience has been more on the basketball training and individual training side of it,” the former Coastal Carolina University guard and 2004 McQuaid graduate said. “I’ve always kind of looked at the game at that angle.”

The two-time All-Greater Rochester guard, who lives in Canandaigua with his wife and their infant child, said he arrived back in the United States on July 18. The professional basketball season in New Zealand goes from March to July, where it is winter because of its location in the Southern hemisphere.

Leasure said that the timing of the pro season in New Zealand gives him the opportunity to continue to play and coach the McQuaid Knights, but he has not decided whether or not to play what would be his sixth professional season overall.

Former School of the Arts boys basketball coach Gerard Iglesia, who worked with the varsity at University Prep last season, Dan Brady and Rick Leasure, Jack’s father, are the assistant McQuaid basketball coaches.

“You are only going to get out of it what you put into it,” Leasure said was part of his message to players. “That kind of relates to everything in life.”

Aquinas basketball: Section V could make a late change but for now, the Aquinas boys basketball team is placed in Class AA again this winter.

That may be a clue that the Little Irish, who have won Section V championships the last three years – twice in Class A and one of the ‘AA” titles in 2012 – may be very strong again.

Aquinas is a Class B private school that has either chosen to play in classifications with larger schools or been moved up by the Section V Classification of Non Public and Charter School Committee.

“I could care less where we play,” Aquinas boys basketball coach Mike Grosodonia said. “The problem is when we make our schedule.

“Why isn’t the reclassifying done before we make our schedule (so tournament seeding points can be considered).”

Football crystal ball: There could be another shift in division or two for Monroe County league football in the future.

The number of Class B teams in the league stands at two, but Greece Olympia could make it three early as next year, according to Spartans football coach Tim Hill.

“We’re 29 kids from being a Class B school (this year),” Hill said.

Is there a division of all Class B teams in the future of the league?

Batavia is back in Monroe County league football this fall.

One reason why, is that Bishop Kearney’s entry into Livingston County league football took away openings on the schedules of teams in that conference that Batavia played in recent seasons.

The latest Monroe County football league realignment, this time based on the student enrollment at schools instead of geography or traditional matchups, also made a return by Batavia more attractive.

When other Monroe County sports leagues went to a four division-format, Batavia’s girls basketball and softball teams were more competitive, in part because the Blue Devils had more games against schools closer to its size.

The rosters for the annual Eddie Meath All-Star High School Football Game are set.

Kickoff for the game between players in the most recent senior class is 7 p.m. on June 29 at Saint John Fisher College. Proceeds from ticket and other sales benefit the Golisano Children’s Hospital.

The 31st annual Eddie Meath All-Star football game for Section V high school seniors is June 29 at Saint John Fisher College. MEGAN DAILOR/PHOTOGRAPHER

State and Section V football chairman Dick Cerone said that an average of $5,000 has been donated to the hospital during the last five years.

“We’ve had a couple of years where we’ve given close to $10,000,” Cerone said.

Tickets for the game are $6. A banquet at the RIT Inn and Conference Center in West Henrietta takes place June 28, with a $30 cost of admission. Players and cheerleaders from both the West and East teams will visit patients at the hospital on June 27, with the event including an ice cream social.

Tickets for the banquet and games can be purchased from Section V football representatives at Brockport and East Irondequoit Eastridge.

New era of Webster basketball: The Webster Schroeder Warriors boys varsity basketball team is coached by Matt Spadoni.

Griffin Coles was hired as the Webster Thomas boys varsity coach last week.

The late Bill O'Rourke Sr. and Bill O'Rourke Jr. coached 63 years in Webster when you add their tenures together. JAMIE GERMANO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERcoached by Matt Spadoni.Griffin Coles was hired as the new Webster Thomas varsity boys coach last week.

So when the Section V season tips off in November, it will be the first time after 63 years that neither Bill O’Rourke Sr. or Bill O’Rourke Jr. will coach a varsity basketball team in Webster.

Track and field awards: Yen Timing, which records the times and distances at numerous track and field meets in Section V, dedicated the scholarships it gives out each year in honor of Cedric Walker, who died in March at the age of 49.

Walker was a co-founder of the Flower City Track Club based in Rochester, helped numerous local athletes inside and outside of track and field obtain college scholarships and was a USA Track and Field coach and administrator who traveled around the world.

Eileen O'Hara set the Section V 1,500-meter record, as she won the state Federation and public school titles. ADRIAN KRAUS/PHOTOGRAPHER

This year’s $500 scholarship recipients are Amir Rogers at Northeast/Northwest College Prep and Eileen O’Hara at Webster Thomas.

O’Hara won the Division I Federation and public schools state championships in the 1,500 and went on to compete at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina. She set the Section V record in the distance race this spring at 4:28.94. The future

Binghamton University student who plans to study biology and nutrition, has volunteered more than 200 hours to various causes.

Rogers, a winner of Section V Indoor Track’s sportsmanship award, is a two-time Junior Olympics All-American hurdler. He swept the 110- and 400-meter hurdle finals at the Section V Class A Championships in Hilton. Rogers will attend Barton Community College in Kansas and plans to pursue a degree in physical therapy.

AJGA at Ravenwood: Volunteers are in demand for the American Junior G0lf Association Ravenwood Junior Championship in Victor, July 1-4.

By the count of McQuaid volleyball’s Christopher Parks, the number of Knights that he has coached who have become members of a USA Volleyball Youth National team is up to three.

That number was one until Monday, when senior setter/outside hitter Christy Blough and junior outside hitter Colby Harriman made the 12-man roster for

McQuaid senior Christy Blough was the 2012 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Boys Volleyball Player of the Year. ANNETTE LEIN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

the boys under-18 team. USA Volleyball reduced the roster from 19 in Colorado Springs, before the team leaves June 20 for the FIVB Under-19 World Championships in Mexico.

“This area has had many players on youth national teams,” Webster coach and Section V boys volleyball assistant coordinator Greg Kennedy said. “Not two people at the same time, and not two people from the same high school.”

Blough, listed at 6-foot-6 inches tall, was captain of the USA Volleyball team last July that qualified for the world championships coming up on June 27-July 7. The 2012 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year, a resident of Ontario in Wayne County, is headed to Ohio State.

McQuaid junior Colby Harriman tried out for the USA Volleyball Youth National Team last year. SHAWN DOWD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Harriman, who is listed at 6-5, also was named to the 2012 AGR team and Most Valuable Player of the Section V Class A tournament, after his first season as a starter with the Knights. He is expected to return to McQuaid, which has won the last three Division I state and sectional Class A championships.

“(Colby) just picked the game a couple of years ago,” Kennedy said. “Both of them have shown so much dedication in learning the game, and with different sources.

“Those two are outstanding in showing (younger players) what they know. (McQuaid graduate and former AGR Player of the Year Steve O’Dell) was like that.”

Harriman’s success in making the final cut for the USA Volleyball boys 19-under team is a jump of at least three levels in the system after he was assigned to a development camp during the series of tryouts last year.

“I think that he’s definitely matured as a player, he’s a much smarter player,” Blough said. “It was just a matter of experience.”

So when the Section V boys volleyball season opens this fall, the McQuaid Knights could have a national youth team member on its roster for the second consecutive year. Harriman is one of just two starters expected back.

Brockport senior Denzel Knight scored 28 touchdowns during his final season with the Blue Devils. KRIS J. MURANTE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“Every year is a different year,” Parks said. “We have a lot of respect for Penfield and Fairport.”

Football commitments: No doubt, balloons from national signing day celebrations during the first week of February are flat.

There is still football recruiting news however, even if the deadline for signing national letters of intent came and went on April 1. Not all of it has anything to do with the Football Bowl Subdivision, commonly known as Division I.

Here are the college destinations for members of the 2012 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Football Team:

Denzel Knight (Brockport running back): The 2012 AGR Player of the Year’s plan is to spend a year at Salisbury Prep in Maryland.

Jeff DiVeronica has covered Section V for the Democrat and Chronicle since 1994. A native of Canastota, N.Y., where he played soccer, basketball and baseball, “Devo” began his career at the Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette before returning to Rochester in 1993. The St. John Fisher College graduate also covers the Rochester Rhinos soccer team and Syracuse University basketball. He founded the Canandaigua National Bank High School Sports Show, which airs Saturdays at noon on WHTK-AM (1280), in 2003. E-mail Jeff at jdiveron@DemocratandChronicle.com.Follow:@RocDevo

James Johnson has covered Section V for the Democrat and Chronicle since 1996. The St. John Fisher College and Edison graduate also has provided features and game stories tied to NASCAR, professional golf, baseball, hockey, boxing and tennis. His career began in 1995 at the Press-Sun Bulletin in Binghamton, where he helped cover Section IV high school sports. E-mail James at jamesj@DemocratandChronicle.com.Follow:@jjDandC